:HIATUS:Naruto is smart! No joke, she is! She, not he. Naruto is actually a girl and has decided after a slip up in Wave, to stop pretending to be an idiot. This unfortunately gets her more attention than she ever thought she wanted. Bonds are created and secrets are revealed. BEWARE- 2 different stories. Shikamaru/Naruto story. Gaara/Naruto story. Pick your team and go!HIATUS!

I'm dedicating this chapter to Proudhollow, the 10th reviewer, and Xcell, the 30th reviewer! You guys rock!

I don't own Naruto or the characters. I do own this plot though.

All mistakes are mine. I don't have a beta for this story. If you see something, please let me know what I need to work on! :D

I actually got some suggestions in reviews for some things that people wanted to see in this chapter. When I posted the first chapter, I had half of the second finished, and the things people wanted to see, were already written. I think that is hilarious! Well, all great minds think alike! :D

The A/N: at the bottom will tell you the standing for whom Naruto ends up with! Check it out!

Enjoy!

The exam room was filled with shinobi. Naruto grinned in confidence, not at all affected by the glares being thrown their way. She had suffered worse glares her whole life. No way was she going to let that scare her away!

"Sasuke!"

Team seven flinched at the high pitched voice of Ino Yamanaka. Naruto moved aside in order to let the Sasuke loving blonde glomp her crush.

Sasuke threw her a frosty glare for it, but it was either that, or get bowled over in the process.

Sakura was in Ino's face immediately, screaming about how Sasuke was hers and that the 'pig' had to back off or else.

Shikamaru and Choji walked up at a much slower pace than Ino. "Man you guys are here too? What a drag!" Shikamaru groaned.

Naruto snorted at Shikamaru. The lazy Nara had been using that line for years! It was nice to see that he didn't change at all.

Shikamaru turned to look at Naruto and froze. Since when did Naruto have long hair? And why did he all of a sudden think that it made Naruto even prettier? Prettier?! Where did that come from?! The boy thought in slight panic.

Ino also noticed Naruto's add feature and gaped, "Where did all of that come from?"

Naruto shrugged, "I've always had long hair. I just never told any of you."

Sakura looked ready to open her mouth but was stopped by Kiba. He walked up, "Yahoo! It looks like the gang's all back together again!"

It wasn't lost on the three teams that Hinata didn't stutter once. Also, they didn't miss the fact that the Hyuga heiress already knew about Naruto's secret. When the usually timid girl hugged Naruto, they were all shocked.

Kiba stalked forward, only stopping when he was in front of Naruto. "Is that really you Naruto?" he asked.

Naruto held her breath when Kiba leaned in until they were nose to nose, and took a loud sniff. Shock flashed across the Inuzuka's face and he leaned closer, placing his nose in the crook of Naruto's shoulder. "You smell like a-"

He was yanked away from the blonde by Hinata, who placed her hand over his mouth. She leaned into his ear and whispered something that no one could hear. The Inuzuka's face flushed. "So, my nose wasn't wrong?" he asked the girl.

Naruto could tell immediately that Kiba had scented her. Having started her cycle a day prior, it was no wonder why he could smell her shift in scent. So now Kiba knew that Naruto was a she. Not exactly how she wanted to be found out, but, whatever.

Hinata whispered something else into Kiba's ear and he nodded.

"What was your nose not wrong about Kiba?" Ino asked, butting into peoples business like she normally did.

Kiba looked at her, and then to Hinata, who subtly shook her head no. "Uh, how Naruto was telling the truth, and that the hair wasn't fake," he covered himself quickly, throwing them all a grin.

Sakura and Ino, who had been leaning forward in eagerness, deflated at the simple answer. Shikamaru gave the Inuzuka a look, saying that while he knew what the boy said was the truth, it wasn't what Kiba was originally going to say. Choji continued to eat his chips, and Shino only tilted his head slightly. Sasuke was staring at the blonde member of his team.

"You guys shouldn't draw so much attention to yourselves!"

The nine rookies all looked over at the silver haired teen with glasses. He was grinning at them as he came closer.

"Who are you?" Sakura demanded in a bitchy tone.

The teen laughed, "I am Kabuto Yakushi. I wanted to tell you that because you guys are the rookies, fresh out of the academy, you've already gained the attention of everyone here. Most of which have taken the Chunin Exams multiple times and have failed. You don't want to get anymore attention drawn to yourselves. A lot of them don't appreciate newbies coming in."

Sakura gave him a look, "How many times have you taken this then?"

Kabuto had the guts to look embarrassed, "Um…..this is my seventh time. My fourth year, since they're held twice a year."

The rookies stared at him in silence. They all glanced at each other in shock. Were the exams really that hard?

"But, don't count me out just yet! I did do some information gathering while I was here, so it wasn't a complete waste of time," Kabuto told them, pulling out a deck of cards. "These, are my ninja info cards. Anything about a competitor that you want to know, as long as you have a name or description, is all in here."

Sasuke moved forward, "Rock Lee, Sabaku no Gaara and Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto fixed the teme with a glare. What the hell did he want to know? Why couldn't he just ask her himself?

Kabuto chuckled and swiped his hand over the deck, pulling out three cards, "Here they are."

He placed them down, and focused chakra into the first. "Rock Lee graduated last year with props for his amazing Taijutsu, though his other skills are severely lacking. His sensei is Maito Gai, and his teammates are Neji Hyuga and TenTen. He didn't take the Chunin Exams last year because he wanted to train more. He's been on 42 D rank missions and 18 C rank missions, none of which failed."

Kabuto focused his chakra into the next card. "Okay. Next we have Sabaku no Gaara, from Suna. His sensei is Baki and his teammates are Temari and Kankuro. There isn't much about him. He's been on 8 D ranks, and Whoa! One B rank even though he's a Genin!"

That got everyone's attention. The guy had done a B rank? Even for those who hadn't met him, they could tell that the guy was dangerous.

"There's something else! Every mission he's had has been a complete success," Kabuto said with a shocked tone.

"Well, you said the Bushy Brow had perfect mission records, so why can't Gaara?" Naruto asked, not getting the big whoop.

"He came back, completely unscathed."

Shikamaru looked at the picture of Gaara and easily spotted the red head in the crowd of Genin. Their eyes met briefly and he shivered. Thisguy's been on a B rank and had never been injured?! This guy is bad news!

Akamaru whimpered and snuggled into Kiba's coat further. Kiba knew how the pup felt. He didn't want to run into the Gaara kid either.

Kabuto let the news sink in for a bit, before adding chakra to the last card. Naruto's picture came up, and all of her stats as well. "Let's see. Naruto Uzumaki, graduated this year after failing three times?" Kabuto gave her a questioning look and continued. "Genjutsu is nonexistent, but Taijutsu and Ninjutsu are extremely high! Can perform the A Class jutsu, Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, and with his mastery of it, created another jutsu that is also considered A rank, called the All Direction Shuriken. Another jutsu he created that utilizes the Multi Shadow Clones, is a B rank called the Harem Jutsu. Wow! His sensei is Kakashi Hatake, his teammates are Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno."

Naruto wanted to know how Kabuto knew such things, but the teen continued on before she could ask. "Knows Kenjutsu and Fuinjutsu. Both skills are very high. Has been on 68 D rank missions, and one C turned A rank! Took an IQ test a week ago. The result was an IQ of 189, which makes me wonder…" Kabuto trailed off.

He looked Naruto in the eye, "Why did you fail three times if you can do all of this? Were you just pretending or something? People don't get this good over night you know!"

The rookies all looked at Naruto who was trying her hardest to not glare at the teen before her. It wasn't working. She leveled him with her darkest glare and replied, "Yes. I did it for my own reasons, and I don't have to tell you why."

Ino was up in her face in an instant, "Why the hell didn't you tell us?! We all thought you were an idiot!"

Naruto turned her glare to the Yamanaka. "Why should I tell you anything? It's not like we're friends," she said with a frown. "And for your information, I told Hinata. She and I are friends."

Since when did Hinata and Naruto hang out? It was a shock, especially to Sasuke and Sakura. They were on a team with the dobe, yet they didn't know anything about the blonde. Yet, Naruto, who didn't spend noticeable time with the Hyuga heiress, had told the girl something so important.

Shikamaru looked at Naruto in a new light. Wasn't Naruto the dead last like him? Yet, the kid's IQ almost matched his own! Kabuto had made a valid point and Naruto confirmed it!

It was ironic actually. The two dead lasts in the academy, were actually the smartest in their year. Probably the whole school. Shikamaru was too lazy and Naruto was faking stupidity. Why though?

What could've happened to cause Naruto to fake? Shikamaru watched the blonde who was frowning at his female teammate. He planned on finding out. This was a good challenge for him.

Ino wasn't letting it go though, "We were still in the same class though!"

Naruto full on glared at her, causing the girl to shrink back in fear, "Hinata has been an actual friend to me all of these years. Even when she was ordered to avoid me. The others close enough to being friends would be Shikamaru, Choji and Kiba, and we didn't hang out all that much either save for skipping class together! So, I don't have to give you of all people, any information regarding my life. Mind your own business!"

Naruto then ignored Ino in favor of Kabuto, "So, how did you find all of that out? My sensei doesn't even know half of that stuff, cause I didn't tell him. How did you came across such detailed information? And I would be honest if I were you. Seeing how you know so much about me, you should also know what you just got yourself into by digging around in my personal information." Her eyes took on a cold look, "Your answer Kabuto?"

Her question got everyone's attention fixated on Kabuto again.

"W-well, I gather info on anyone who becomes a Genin. From Konoha or Suna or even Oto, that's so small it's practically nonexistent." Kabuto explained, hands raised in a placating manner.

A blur out of the corner of her eye, got Naruto's attention. She acted immediately, blocking the attack that was aimed for Kabuto's throat, with her sword.

No one saw Naruto pull out a sword. One minute he was in one place, and the second they blinked, he was gone! Somehow, he had managed to hide a sword on him as well as use it to stop the Oto ninja that had attacked Kabuto. It was shocking!

"You seriously lost it over that?! Grow up!" Naruto sighed in annoyance, kicking the ninja away.

He stumbled back as his partners came to back him up, "Bite me!"

Naruto shook her head and twisted her blade, ready for another attack. "I don't know where you've been," she sneered in disgust.

A large explosion followed by a dust cloud, appeared. When it cleared, there was a group of ninja, with a really tall man in a black trenchcoat standing at the end of the room.

"Alright, that's enough! No more fighting! Get a number and sit down!" the man in the coat ordered.

Naruto sighed and stepped forward. To everyone's astonishment, the sword was gone! Where did it go?!

The Genin couldn't linger as the first part of the Chunin Exams was starting. They were given numbers and told to sit in their assigned seats.

Naruto was lucky to have gotten a seat next to Hinata. The two girls giggled at each other before turning to listen to the rules.

Naruto found it slightly odd that they were given five chances to cheat. It was like they wanted people to cheat. She glanced down at her test and sweatdropped. Of course that was what they wanted! The test was rigged with extremely difficult questions that most ninja would have to cheat in order to get the answers.

Well, Kit. I'd like to see if you paid any attention to what I've taught you over the years. Expect no help from me. Naruto sighed. Kurama wasn't joking it seemed. She was going to have to use logic, intelligence, and patience. She didn't want to sound like Shikamaru, but couldn't help it. This is such a drag!

She looked the test over and memorized the questions. Then, raising her pencil slightly, she glanced at the clock, waiting for the perfect time to start. When the minute hand reached the twelve she began.

Shikamaru, who was several seats behind Naruto, and off to the right was looking at the blonde in shock. With the speed Naruto used for answering the questions, there was no question that he nearly paralleled Shikamaru in the intelligence department. This seemed to spur Shikamaru on. For the first time in a long time, he felt moved to actually do something without being forced. He felt the need to prove that the two dead lasts in the academy were indeed the smartest ninja to graduate.

With his new determination in mind, Shikamaru set to work. He would prove that he wasn't some lazy ass, (even though he was) and they would all see that he, and Naruto, were forces to be reckoned with!

Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma and Gai, sat in the 'Sensei Lounge' as they called it. During the Chunin Exams, it was a room where the sensei's could go to watch how their students were doing on the first part of the exam. Each got a television screen to watch their teams. It was better than all of them crowding around a puny screen, trying to see everything.

Inside the exam room, there were cameras everywhere! This way, each sensei could see their students from a different angle. With the push of a button, they could change the view, and in turn, watch everything going on!

"Some of these kids are horrible!" Kurenai sighed, watching how the same ninja got five kunai embedded in his desk in rapid succession. "He didn't even wait before trying again!"

The Jonin sensei's laughed. It was true! Some of the teams were terrible! Others though, were outstanding.

Sasuke and Neji were both using their doujutsu, making Gai and Kakashi proud. TenTen, Neji's teammate, had somehow connected wires to a light fixture above her, allowing her to angle the reflective surface toward her last teammate, Rock Lee. "I have to admit, her speed and accuracy in that is truly amazing," Kakashi complimented, causing Gai to erupt into tears of joy.

Kakashi wasn't disappointed to see Sakura flying through her test. She was top kunoichi after all. It was expected. He did notice how Ino, who sitting far behind Sakura, kept her eyes trained on the girl. A few seconds later, Sakura put her pencil down and sighed, smiling like she'd just won a major victory.

Ino chose to act, forming a handsign, aiming it toward Sakura. The pinkett's head hit her desk before she sat up at started to read her paper.

"It seems that Ino is proficient in her clans jutsu!" Kurenai smiled as Ino then used her mind transfer jutsu on Choji, writing down the answers for him.

When she turned to Shikamaru, she paused. This got the Jonin's attention immediately. They all decided to watch the young Nara whose attention was fixated on Naruto!

They all received a shock when they saw Naruto flying through the answers! Wasn't he the dead last? How could he possibly be able to answer the questions. Kakashi was impressed while the others didn't know what to think. They had all seen Naruto's test scores and knew for a fact that he shouldn't have been able to answer any questions! Yet, there he was, defying what seemed to be, the laws of nature!

They turned their attention back to Shikamaru who was grinning at the blonde. With a nod of his head Shikamaru looked down at his test, picked up his pencil and began to write. His hand a blur as he flew through the questions.

Asuma nodded silently, still not believing what he was seeing. Shikamaru was actually answering questions! He wasn't taking a nap!

He finally looked at his Jonin companions, "Yes, but I had him take an IQ test. He told me that the act of putting pencil to paper was a drag, so he never answered any test questions, opting instead, to take a nap."

The Jonin all sighed at the Nara's laziness. Kurenai was the first to react though. "So, what was his score?" she asked.

Asuma stared at the screen, before giving his friends a smile, "Well over two hundred."

The Jonin all gasped, surprised that a Genin could have such a high level of intelligence.

Kakashi smiled, "So Shikamaru was a dead last, even though he is so smart. With the way he's staring at Naruto, I'd say that Naruto, even though he was also dead last, has proved to be just as intelligent as Shikamaru. This, I believe, has spurred him on to prove that the worst ninja in the academy, are in fact the smartest."

The Jonin all watched as the two put down their pencils and both seemed to ease up. Like a great weight was lifted from their shoulders. Was it really possible for the both of them to be the smartest? Asuma couldn't say anything since he knew now what Shikamaru was capable of. Who's to say that Naruto wasn't the same?

They continued to watch. Kiba had Akamaru to help him get the answers. Shino used his bugs and Hinata made good use of her Byakugan. Kurenai was proud of her team.

Gai was watching the red head sitting on the far left. He had two fingers over his eye and his mouth was moving. "Hey, look at the red haired Suna ninja, he seems to be chanting."

The other did so, and watched in veiled disgust, as an eyeball formed from sand appeared, floating next to the boy. He then reached out his hand and crushed it, causing the sand to disperse.

"I wonder what he said?" Asuma mumbled.

"He called it the third eye," Kakashi told them. He was a master at reading lips, after having the Sharingan for so long.

They all nodded, and went back to watching their screens.

When the time was up Gai let out a laugh, "Would you look at that! None of the Rookie Nine were marked for cheating, yet the more experienced ninja, were booted out! You have trained your students well!"

The others smiled in pride. True enough, none of them got caught. One third of them having actually used intelligence to pass. That was a good number. It showed that the next generation of shinobi was quite possibly, a threat, even at their young age.

Kiba watched the Uzumaki breeze through her test. Naruto was a girl! That kind of revelation can change someones view in a short amount of time. The long hair, and the spicy scent really made the thought of mating with Naruto appealing. In the bedroom, long hair could be used for many things.

Akamaru whimpered at the change in his masters scent. Kiba sighed and calmed down, giving the ninken a pat on the head. "It's okay boy. I'll calm down now," he whispered.

On the other side of the room, sat a red head, who was staring down the blond Uzumaki. That one! Kill that one! Feast on her bones! Herblood will be mine!

Gaara grabbed his head as it throbbed in pain. Shukaku wanted the Naruto person. His sand shifted restlessly at the thought of offering the blondes blood to 'mother'.

Yes! We will kill her! Her? Yes! She has power! Her powerful blood will make us truly alive!...

Gaara laid his head on his desk. Yes, I'll give you 'her' blood mother! I'm a good boy aren't I?!

Good boy! The dark voice cheered and the presence receded. Gaara sat up straight, eyes now boring holes into the blonde. I shall have your blood for mother.

Naruto watched as the proctor glanced at the clock and whistled. "Pencils down!"

A collective groan met his order, and he threw them all a glare. "It's time for the last question. You may choose of course not to take it. However, you and your team, will be booted out immediately if you do."

"Well then of course we'd take it!"

"Why would you do that?!"

"Silence!" Ibiki shouted. When everyone quieted down, he continued, "You can take the question, but if you get it wrong, you fail automatically and you can never become Chunin, which means you stay Genin forever."

Sakura was out of her seat in an instant, "But there are people here who've taken the exams before!"

Ibiki grinned evilly, causing a shudder to run through them all, "You were unfortunate to get me as a proctor this year. That is why I'm giving you the chance to quit now, or forever risk your career."

The looks of horror, where kind of funny. Naruto looked around to see hands flying up and teams leaving. Thanks to Kurama, she knew that the man was bluffing, and wanted to laugh. Yet at the same time, she found Ibiki's smile creepy. Like he was getting a sick pleasure from terrifying people.

You read about him once. He's the Head of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force. Kurama told her with a sigh. Oh yeah! He has several thousand ryo over his head! No wonder he's enjoying himself! They sent him in here to scare the shit out of people!

Naruto sighed as the fox began to laugh. Maybe Old Man Hokage was a bit sadistic, allowing such a person to proctor the exam. She wouldn't be surprised.

"Are you sure you want to give up, Pinky?" Ibiki's voice woke Naruto up from her thoughts. She turned to see Sakura with her hand slightly raised.

"The fuck Sakura?!" she demanded.

"Quiet! If she wants to quit because she isn't ready, then she can. But know this Pinky. I can tell that your team will not be very happy with you if they have to wait till the next exam. Are you sure you want to risk it?"

"But, but, I just don't want his dream to be over!" Sakura shouted pointing at the blonde.

Naruto looked at Ibiki with pleading eyes. The man sighed, "You have one chance to get her to stop. Any more talking after that,and I'll take points off your test."

Naruto turned to the girl and laid into her, "Since when did I ask for your fucking help?! I'm facing this through to the end! I never go back on my word. That's my ninja way! How about you stop using me as an excuse and just admit that you're a scared pansy?!Besides, if we fail, there are ways to go up a rank without taking these exams. Like if we go to war, and someone shows exceptional quality as a ninja, they can be bumped up in rank. So don't use me as your shield. Face the real world, and deal with your fear!"

Sakura stared at her in shock. The snickers of her fellow shinobi causing her to put her head and hand down in shame. She was scared, and was just using Naruto as a reason to get out of the hard work ahead. It was shameful.

Ibiki watched the blonde with interest. Such an outburst, somehow made all of the remaining ninja want to stay. The kid didn't seem to have any self control, yet, it didn't seem like such a thing would help him. Maybe brash actions were his way of getting across to people.

When Pinky didn't make any attempt to move, he considered her answer to be, that she was staying. "Well, then. For the tenth question, I'm proud to say that you all pass!"

A moment of silence…...before it went to pot.

"WHAT?!"

"PASS?!"

Ibiki was smiling, like Naruto when she pulled off an epic prank. "You all passed!"

"What about the tenth question?!" Sakura screamed, finally pulling her head up from her desk.

"There wasn't one. This was designed to see if you all had the guts to stick out a difficult mission to the end. Even at the cost of never rising in rank. The first nine questions were to show us how well you'd do at gathering data. We even placed two Chunin, with all of the answers, among you. Then, we had to see if you had the guts to follow through to the end, no matter the consequences for failing," Ibiki was grinning widely.

The Genin that remained were all staring at him in silence. Not something he was expecting. Cheers, laughter even, but not silence. He was facing a room full of bored looking individuals. Awkward!

The silence dragged on, and Ibiki looked at the Chunin lining the walls. All of them were smiling at him and nodding their heads.

Before he could speak, the window exploded and he stepped back in order to avoid the purple and tan ball that flew through the new hole.

"Alright you maggots, listen up!"

Ibiki sighed as Anko introduced herself. He couldn't help feeling annoyed with her. The large hole in the wall was bigger than normal. How many years had she been using the same entry? How much money was she willing to waste in repairs, just so she could show off?

She shrugged, "Well, it doesn't matter to me. Half of them will be gone when I'm finished. I look forward to seeing who survives!"

The Genin all shivered. For some reason, Mitarashi Anko was scarier than the first proctor.

"Now! Follow me!"

The reluctant Genin stood, some wishing that they had given up. Naruto however, was excited. Nothing could ruin her mood. She was curious to see what lay ahead.

Ibiki Morino collected the tests for grading. It was true that they didn't help the Genin pass the first exam, but they did have purpose. Whoever passed the Second Exam, and the possible preliminaries, would have their tests to help them.

Whether or not you win the Chunin Exams doesn't guarantee you the rank of Chunin. Anyone who competes in the Third Exam, even though they lost their match, could pass. That was where the tests came into play. How the Genin acquired the information will be taken into account when Ibiki watches all of the video in the cameras stationed around the room.

This time, Ibiki was aware that three people didn't cheat. He was interested in seeing their scores.

The room was nice and quiet as he graded the papers. His silence was disrupted when Gai burst through the door with a cry of, "Dynamic Entry!"

Kakashi, Asuma and Kurenai followed at a more leisurely pace.

"So, what's the damage?" Asuma asked, lighting a cigarette.

Ibiki sighed, "Even with two people in the crowd who knew all of the answers, it's still pretty bad. However, all of the Rookie Nine passed perfectly."

The Jonin all smiled, proud of their students.

"What really got me though, is that even though all of them passed, three actually did it on their own! No cheating involved. Pure intelligence." Ibiki picked up three papers and gave them an approving grin. "Sakura Haruno, Shikamaru Nara and Naruto Uzumaki, all have the intelligence required to be Chunin. I can't wait to see their abilities. If they make it far enough, they will most likely be Chunin when this is over," Ibiki smiled.

Kakashi and Asuma smiled wider. They each had smart students who wouldn't resort to cheating. It was rare for anyone to enter the First Exam and get all of the answers correct without cheating. In fact, the last person to do so was Itachi Uchiha, and before him, Kakashi himself. This would go down in the record books!

Ibiki gazed outside, the hole providing him with nice view of the sunset. The Chunin Exams would prove to be great this time around.

He leaned back in his chair, a smile on his face. They sure would.

A/N: Okay, another chapter out of the way!

The 40th reviewer will have the next chapter dedicated to them!

Who Naruto should end up with(Your votes):

1. Shikamaru- 4

2. Gaara- 4

3. Sasuke- 3

4. Hinata- 2

5. Kiba- 1

6. Shino- 1

7. Neji- 1

Now, I personally wanted either Gaara or Shikamaru, but this is a vote between you guys. I have no voting power.

*Leave who you want Naruto to be with in your review. This will go on for a while, until the story escalates to the love part. Each of the above characters though, will be getting closer to Naruto, until another person is added to the list.*

Please review! :D

Ja ne!

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.